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Joshue 17

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1 Cecidit autem sors tribui Manasse (ipse enim est primogenitus Joseph) : Machir primogenito Manasse patri Galaad, qui fuit vir pugnator, habuitque possessionem Galaad et Basan :

2 et reliquis filiorum Manasse juxta familias suas, filiis Abiezer, et filiis Helec, et filiis Esriel, et filiis Sechem, et filiis Hepher, et filiis Semida. Isti sunt filii Manasse filii Joseph, mares, per cognationes suas.

3 Salphaad vero filio Hepher filii Galaad filii Machir filii Manasse non erant filii, sed solæ filiæ : quarum ista sunt nomina : Maala et Noa et Hegla et Melcha et Thersa.

4 Veneruntque in conspectu Eleazari sacerdotis, et Josue filii Nun, et principum, dicentes : Dominus præcepit per manum Moysi, ut daretur nobis possessio in medio fratrum nostrorum. Deditque eis juxta imperium Domini possessionem in medio fratrum patris earum.

5 Et ceciderunt funiculi Manasse, decem, absque terra Galaad et Basan trans Jordanem.

6 Filiæ enim Manasse possederunt hæreditatem in medio filiorum ejus. Terra autem Galaad cecidit in sortem filiorum Manasse qui reliqui erant.

7 Fuitque terminus Manasse ab Aser, Machmethath quæ respicit Sichem : et egreditur ad dexteram juxta habitatores fontis Taphuæ.

8 Etenim in sorte Manasse ceciderat terra Taphuæ, quæ est juxta terminos Manasse filiorum Ephraim.

9 Descenditque terminus vallis arundineti in meridiem torrentis civitatum Ephraim, quæ in medio sunt urbium Manasse : terminus Manasse ab aquilone torrentis, et exitus ejus pergit ad mare :

10 ita ut possessio Ephraim sit ab austro, et ab aquilone Manasse, et utramque claudat mare, et conjungantur sibi in tribu Aser ab aquilone, et in tribu Issachar ab oriente.

11 Fuitque hæreditas Manasse in Issachar et in Aser, Bethsan et viculi ejus, et Jeblaam cum viculis suis, et habitatores Dor cum oppidis suis, habitatores quoque Endor cum viculis suis : similiterque habitatores Thenac cum viculis suis, et habitatores Mageddo cum viculis suis, et tertia pars urbis Nopheth.

12 Nec potuerunt filii Manasse has civitates subvertere, sed cœpit Chananæus habitare in terra sua.

13 Postquam autem convaluerunt filii Israël, subjecerunt Chananæos, et fecerunt sibi tributarios, nec interfecerunt eos.

14 Locutique sunt filii Joseph ad Josue, et dixerunt : Quare dedisti mihi possessionem sortis et funiculi unius, cum sim tantæ multitudinis, et benedixerit mihi Dominus ?

15 Ad quos Josue ait : Si populus multus es, ascende in silvam, et succide tibi spatia in terra Pherezæi et Raphaim : quia angusta est tibi possessio montis Ephraim.

16 Cui responderunt filii Joseph : Non poterimus ad montana conscendere, cum ferreis curribus utantur Chananæi, qui habitant in terra campestri, in qua sitæ sunt Bethsan cum viculis suis, et Jezraël mediam possidens vallem.

17 Dixitque Josue ad domum Joseph, Ephraim et Manasse : Populus multus es, et magnæ fortitudinis : non habebis sortem unam,

18 sed transibis ad montem, et succides tibi, atque purgabis ad habitandum spatia : et poteris ultra procedere cum subverteris Chananæum, quem dicis ferreos habere currus, et esse fortissimum.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 17

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 17: The tribe of Manasseh receives the western half of its territory.

The previous chapter (Joshua 16) dealt with the territory given to Ephraim, Manasseh’s younger brother; this one covers the western half of Manasseh (the other half tribe of Manasseh was bound to live across the Jordan).

Interestingly, this chapter mentions many people by name, instead of only describing locations as we’ve seen before. Verses 1 and 2 list all seven of Manasseh’s sons and their families. Then verse 3 mentions Zelophehad, the great-grandson of Manasseh, who had had five daughters, but no sons. When Zelophehad died on the journey through the wilderness, his daughters came to Joshua to claim the inheritance Moses had promised them (see Numbers 27). So, both the sons and daughters of Manasseh’s family received land.

After the area given to Manasseh was outlined, the people of Ephraim and Manasseh came to Joshua and complained that they deserved more land, because of their important standing among the tribes of Israel (verse 14). They claimed that they had been specially blessed, and should receive much more.

Joshua told them that if they were such a great people, they should go to the forest country and seize land from the Perrizites and the giants living there. The people were not pleased, and told Joshua that the Canaanites who still roamed there were strong, and had chariots of iron. Even so, Joshua told them again to cut down the wood and use it, because they would eventually be able to drive out the Canaanites.

The spiritual meaning of this story is all about the relationship between good and truth. Again, there are many names to indicate the geography of the area of “West Manasseh”, and the meaning of these names very often links in with the spiritual meaning of the tribe. Beyond that, the specific area in Canaan given to a tribe is spiritually important. Ephraim and Manasseh are right in the middle of the land because they stand for truth and good, for truth leading to good, for good coming from truth.

The story about Zelophehad’s five daughters also relates to the place of truth and good. This is because sons stand for truths, often for truths which fight for us during our temptations, while daughters stand for the good in our spiritual life which bears ‘children’ (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 8993 [3,4]).

Verses 5 and 6 describe this union of good and truth very beautifully: “Ten portions were given to Manasseh because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.” It is worth noting here that the spiritual meaning of the number ‘ten’ has to do with wholeness, and also ‘remains,’ or memories, which the Lord imparts to us when we are very young (Arcana Caelestia 4638).

When the people of Ephraim and Manasseh complained to Joshua, it is much like us wanting our spiritual life to be easy. We want it to be something given to us, and not something which we will need to work on and even fight for in ourselves.

Finally, the meaning of using wooden chariots to fight the Canaanites means to fight from our love of what is good. This is because wood corresponds to good, since it is alive and has grown. ‘Iron’ here stands for the harshness of truth without any good, which appears invincible, but in reality is weaker than the power of goodness and love (Arcana Caelestia 426[3]).

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Joshua 16

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1 And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,

2 And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

5 And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper;

6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

8 The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

9 And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10 And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

   

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